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The Observe and Rapport Newsletter
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A weekly guide of my favorite books, articles, products, and lifestyle habits.
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September 8th, 2023 | by Kyle Brennan
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Thought of the Week
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You've already achieved goals you said would make you happy.
We keep striving toward that next thing that's really going to make us happy. If I just get this promotion, if I just make it to the weekend, then it'll all be sunshine and rainbows.
Spoiler alert - it never comes.
If I look back on all of the tough shit I've done or goals I've accomploished, it's never the end result I look back on fondly, it's the process of getting there - toiling through the muck, struggling to get started everyday, and pushing through boundaries. Those are the good times.
Be focused on process, not outcome.
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What I'm Reading
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The more I read, the more I can appreciate how much we truly don't know about history - either through omission of fact, the disappearance of data, ignorance, or even plain old arrogance. Pride is concerned with who is right, but humility is concerned with what is right.
The Immortality Key is a fascinating glimpse into what may sound like an absurd theory on its face, however, if you're open to the idea that there may be a different explanation for religion than what we've been told for centuries, you may stumble upon an entirely new account of humanity and faith as we know it.
In this book filled with over ten years of research, Brian Muraresku explores the question "Was the original Holy Communion or Eucharist, in fact, a psychedelic Eucharist?"
The idea is that the Greek mystics used a drugged wine of a fungus called ergot, which produced LSD-like hallucinogenic effects, to not just worship god, but to "become" God through the visions one experiences during a psychedelic trip. There is biochemical evidence that this ergot wine was used in ceremonies all over Greece, Spain, Italy, and Turkey during the formative time of Christianity.
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Simply put, the story of paleo-Christianity is about Greek-speaking mystics in southern Italy demanding personal access to the Eucharist. It wasn’t the priests who attracted them to Jesus. It wasn’t the Church Fathers. And it certainly wasn’t the Bible of the basilicas, because neither existed. It was the experience of meeting God, free from doctrine, dogma, and any institution whatsoever. Surely that’s something people today can appreciate.
Rating: 4.8 / 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My Latest Article
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I spent weeks writing a big essay describing the 12 “essentials” of Self-Help — obvious things like being grateful, having a community, doing hard things, and being consistent.
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But when asked about the keys to self-help by my podcast co-host Keith, I realized that self-confidence really boils down to just two things.
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Article I'm Reading
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I used to make fun of non-alcoholic beer, but suddenly it's become my preferred drink of choice. Athletic Brewing Co. finally cracked the code on good-tasting non-alcoholic beer, and its popularity is a clear indicator of a growing trend.
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Their marketing was also genius. Rather than putting "Zero" or "NA" in their brand name, they marketed to the aspirational millennial - those who go cycling on the weekends, shop at REI, or are training for an event and don't want to be hungover after a night out with friends. Now they can't sell enough of it.
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Is this shift a changing of the tide on drinking culture?
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Song I'm Listening To
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Quote I'm Pondering
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Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
-- Marie Curie
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Keith and Kyle sit down to discuss the possibility of psychedelic inspiration for religious traditions, techniques for becoming a better communicator, and the paradox of the human mind.
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Books discussed in this episode:
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Check Out My Amazon Favorites Bookstore
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Browse my favorite book selections hand-curated by me. I also earn commissions so if you buy anything, those earnings get reinvested right back into this fancy newsletter ;)
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Kyle's Published Work
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33 Life Lessons on My 33rd Birthday
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Thirty-three was a big one. Mostly because I became a dad. Our daughter was born on New Year’s Eve — a fitting arrival for a kid destined to reset everything. It’s been a beautiful, if slightly sleep-deprived blur ever since. I’ve only been “Dad” for less than ten months, but if I’m being honest, I’ve been preparing for the role for over …
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Depth Over Downloads: Why Spending Time with Books Still Matters
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Everyone wants faster information. But no one asks if faster information leads to better understanding — or a better life. In the age of AI and tweet-sized wisdom, we’ve confused information with transformation. But there’s a massive difference between knowing what a book says and being changed by it. The Delusion of Instant Learning In a recent interview, political journalist Ezra Klein admitted he once believed …
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The Jack Reacher Approach to Never Being Caught Off Guard
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There’s no difference between a pessimist who says, ‘Oh, it’s hopeless, so don’t bother doing anything,’ and an optimist who says, ‘Don’t bother doing anything, it’s going to turn out fine anyway.’ Either way, nothing happens.” —Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia I don’t read much fiction, but I’ve always been hooked on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. He’s not your typical …
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